Are downtown smoking bans a trend in Colorado?

Littleton is the latest to say no to smoking downtown, but Arvada, Louisville and Castle Rock aren't even talking about it

Beginning Jan. 1, smoking was prohibited along the sidewalks in downtown Littleton. Electronic smoking devices, vape pens and similar devices also are restricted. (Photos by Kenneth D. Lyons, The Denver Post)

With Littleton the latest community to disallow smoking in its city center — its law kicked in New Year's Day — the question is raised whether downtown smoking bans in Colorado are a trend in the making.

Glenwood Springs officials had discussions on the topic in 2015 but chose not to move forward on it — for now.

"There are always domino effects to any new legislation that governments pass," said Glenwood Springs Councilman Todd Leahy. "We sure don't want to hurt any businesses."

At the same time, Leahy said, the city has heard from families who hate walking through billows of smoke created by smokers who tend to congregate in areas that fall just outside the typical no-smoking distance buffer imposed at front entrances to businesses.

Trevor Boyle of California smokes in an alley behind West Main Street in Littleton. The city is asking smokers to "Move Your Butt" to keep downtown pedestrian areas smoke-free.

"They call it walking the gantlet," he said.

Those competing interests are among the many that city leaders must consider when making a decision about whether to ban smoking in their marquee business districts, said Kevin Bommer, deputy director of the Colorado Municipal League.

"What you're seeing as people rediscover their downtown areas is that they're trying to make them as welcoming and accommodating as possible," he said.

But accommodating to whom? The smoker or the person who eschews the habit?

Justin Longo, media coordinator for the libertarian think tank The Independence Institute, said that's a determination that should be made by the marketplace, not the government.

"We're not giving consumers the choice about what they want — we're making the choice for them," Longo said. "Consumers should be the ones to dictate these rules."

Littleton resident Bill McGee has never been a smoker, yet firmly opposes the city's new ban.

"I think it's an excessive violation of people's rights," said McGee, who was in Littleton's quaint downtown last week. "I'm really not sure why it's being enacted. You'll see people smoking outside bars and restaurants, but it's not a big deal."

Littleton's ban applies to all sidewalks on a several block stretch in the heart of the city, but allows for smoking in alleys and other designated locations.

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment executive director Larry Wolk said there is plenty of data that show that the ill health effects of secondhand smoke aren't limited to the indoors.

Wolk supports smoking bans like the ones in Boulder, Golden and Littleton not just because of their implications for public health but because they help eliminate the tendency that smoking in the open has to "norm" the habit for younger generations.

Travis Bentley of Littleton blows vapor from his vaporizer Tuesday. Smoking is no longer allowed on the city's downtown sidewalks. (Kenneth D. Lyons, The Denver Post)

She said the ban has gone "well and quietly" since being enacted Jan. 1, 2015, with few if any complaints from downtown businesses. That, Claxton said, may be largely due to the fact that the ordinance wasn't a blanket ban for every square inch of downtown. Parking lots and alleys were exempted to give employees a place to get their fix.

"We wanted to be very reasonable about this," she said.

Louisville Mayor Bob Muckle said he would be interested in bringing up the topic for discussion in the new year but said he hasn't heard any complaints from anyone exposed to cigarette smoke.

"Aside from the Waterloo (bar) late at night, smoking's not common," he said.

Lexi Cohen, manager of the The Empire Lounge & Restaurant on Louisville's Main Street, said any complaints are usually handled face to face and on an individual basis. Her libertarian leanings pit her against a smoking ban as a matter of principle, but she said she can understand why some support it.

"I see how disruptive cigarette smoking can be," she said.

Arvada's downtown has seen a massive resurgence in the past few years, as it readies for the opening of the Gold Line FasTracks commuter rail line this spring. Apartment buildings have been popping up and new restaurants have opened their doors in Olde Town.

But Mayor Marc Williams said that doesn't mean a smoking ban is a natural next step.

"Our staff is reluctant to take too much of an initiative in social engineering," he said.

Castle Rock Mayor Paul Donahue said the City Council there would probably wait until it heard demand from its residents for action.

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